Desert Petals
by Finality of Ashes
Summary: After being sent on a mission to Suna with Sakura's dream boy Sasuke, she is determined to show him how much she's changed since Squad Seven. What will happen when she befriends Gaara and Sasuke starts getting jealous of a simple friendship SakuxSasuxGaa
1. Chapter 1: Sakura Haruno

Desert Petals.

Summary: After being sent on a long mission to Suna with Sakura's dream boy Sasuke, she is determined to show him how much she's changed since Squad Seven. But what will happen when she makes friends with Gaara and Sasuke starts getting jealous of an innocent friendship? SakuraXSasuke SakuraXGaara

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters associated with it.

Warnings: This story has been rated M for later chapters and will include lemon. There is also bad language and cussing. Now enough with the warnings and on with the story!

Chapter 1: Sakura Haruno

It was a warm morning day and dawn had just broken. The air was crisp and light and the wind gently caressed the trees. A young pink haired girl opened her eyes and blinked in the early morning sunlight letting them adjust. She yawned and brushed a few stray hairs out of her eyes before rolling over and glancing at her battered old alarm clock. Sakura Haruno was known for having a short temper and even her alarm clock could not escape her wrath. '6.00am' Sakura thought to herself, groaning inwardly. 'I woke up before the alarm today.'

She sighed heavily and heaved herself out of bed. She knew she would never get back to sleep now. She shuffled slowly towards the shower stifling a yawn and shook her head a few times in an effort to try and remember what she had to do today. Sakura opened and locked the door quietly so as not to wake her neighbours and stripped down, carelessly discarding her pyjamas on the floor. As she stepped under the hot water she finally started to wake up and found herself relaxing.

Suddenly her eyes snapped open and she cried out. "Shit! I've got to meet the Hokage this morning for a top secret meeting!"

She tore the shampoo through her hair and scrubbed quickly. She jumped out the shower and didn't even bother drying herself properly. She wrapped a towel around her dripping slim figure and ran back to her bedroom just as the snooze on her alarm started beeping. So she hadn't woken up before the alarm after all.

There were other people stirring in the neighbouring apartments now. They were making their usual clumsy-early-morning noises, and the smell of coffee permeated the air.

'I'm going to be late!' she thought desperately.

Luckily she had been thinking the previous night and had already laid out her clothes on the elegant black chair in front of her dresser. She dropped the towel and dressed at top speed in her usual pink attire and sped downstairs.

As she passed the kitchen she considered having breakfast and cursed herself for wasting precious seconds thinking about food. She took one step towards the door until her stomach growled in protest at the thought of skipping yet another meal. Too tired and late to argue with herself Sakura skidded into the small kitchen and started scanning around for something she could eat quickly and on her way. Her eyes focused on the fruit bowel and the diet bars next to it. She grabbed the small bar and an apple and ran out of the house before she could think of any other reason to stay there.

As she ran through Konoha in the early morning, she couldn't help but think how happy she was here. The sun really seemed to shine brighter on this village and it warmed and fed the hearts of everyone living there.

As the Hokage's tower loomed into view she picked up the pace and focused chakra in her legs. 'I can't make myself look bad at this meeting, or it will confirm to everyone that Naruto put me in this position because I'm his friend and not because I earned it!'

Sakura had been put at the head of the medical ninja unit. Her job was hard, tiresome and she had a lot of responsibilities, but she loved it. Hard work was something Sakura never shied away at, and she had made great changes in the medical field which had helped save countless lives. But still some people believed her connection to the Hokage had gotten her this position and she was determined to prove them wrong.

She burst into the Hokage's office, out of breath and panting hard. "I'm.... so sorry.... I'm late!" Sakura gasped in between breaths.

"Ah, Sakura!" Hokage Naruto Uzumaki yelled. "I knew you would make it!"

Sakura smiled at how full of energy he was at this time in the morning and leaned against the double doors steadying herself.

"Humph," came a quiet disdainful noise from the desk in front of Naruto. Sakura lifted her jade eyes and her heart rose into her mouth. Leaning casually against the desk was none other than Sasuke Uchiha. Unlike Sakura his hair was perfectly groomed his composure perfectly calm. The absolute pinnacle of perfection.

Sakura looked sheepishly at the floor and felt the colour rise in her cheeks. 'Why can I never think of anything to say to him?!' Sakura panicked.

"Um, Good morning Sasuke." She smiled at the handsome Uchiha and he continued staring at the window indifferently. Naruto's face fell and Sakura quickly added in an overly sunny voice "Good morning to you to Hokage". Naruto hadn't missed it though and he sat back down looking somewhat crestfallen.

Sakura mentally started hitting herself in the head. How could she have forgotten that Naruto was in love with her? He always got really down whenever Sakura showed favouritism with Sasuke.

Sakura sighed inwardly. Over the years she had changed from hating Naruto and thinking he was a complete idiot, to someone who was her friend and someone she respected; not just as Hokage but as a person too. She didn't want to cause him any pain so she tried to show indifference between the two, but just seeing Sasuke when she wasn't expecting him... Well that was enough to make her forget Naruto was in the room. She tried to walk with as much grace as she could muster while still tired from running and stood next to Sasuke. She tried to play it cool but her eyes couldn't resist flicking shyly at Sasuke's handsome face. Sasuke didn't look at her once but he seemed aware she was watching him. He sighed again, shook his head and stared pointedly at Naruto.

Sakura felt her heart standstill, and it felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs. It may have been only a small gesture but Sakura knew what Sasuke was telling her. He wasn't interested. In fact he wouldn't even be standing next to her if he wasn't at this top secret meeting with the Hokage. She stood there sadly and turned her attention to Naruto. If she was hoping he would have made her feel better she was mistaken. She felt guilt wrack her body as her eyes saw the hurt he was in.

'Great start to the day I'm having,' Sakura thought angrily. 'First I make an idiot out of myself in front of Sasuke and then I upset Naruto.'

Naruto quietly shifted through some papers on the desk until he found the ones detailing the mission. He plastered his trademark grin on his face and handed a copy to both Sakura and Sasuke. Naruto started talking but Sakura wasn't paying attention. She could tell Naruto's smile was just a front and she felt for him. She knew how painful it was having the person you were in love with ignore you.

Naruto's voice pierced her thoughts. "Sakura! Hello? Sakura!"

"Oh! Yes! Right! Um what were you saying again?" Sakura asked sheepishly.

Naruto sighed. "You're really not with it today Sakura. What is it? Miss out on breakfast again?"

"Oh, no! I let my thought's get carried away with me. I'm so sorry Naruto please continue."

"I'll start again just to make sure Sakura knows what she's doing."

Naruto paused and took a deep breath.

"Sakura and Sasuke. You have both been assigned to deliver some important documents to Suna. As there are many villages that would wish to break the bond between the leaf and the sand, you understand that this is an S ranked mission. You may not run into any trouble but there is always a chance." He shifted for a second as if steeling himself to say something. "You two are my dearest friends and I don't wish to hide anything from you. However. These documents are for the Kazekage's eyes alone. You must not open them."

"We will be discreet," said Sasuke quietly.

"Good! You will be accompanied by Kakashi-sensei as squad leader. So! That's all there is to it! On the pieces of paper I have given you are the finer points of the mission. Please memorise it and then destroy it."

"Understood!" Sakura and Sasuke said in unison.

"Right then, you will be meeting Kakashi-sensei at the front gates in one hour from now. Are there any questions?"

He glanced at Sasuke who shook his head, then gazed intently at Sakura. She just smiled blandly and copied Sasuke's reaction. Naruto made a motion as if he was going to get out of his chair but thought better of it at the last minute. He sat back down and smiled heavily at the pair.

"Ok then. Have a great trip!"

Taking this to mean that they were dismissed, Sakura and Sasuke turned and left the office.

They walked side by side, Sasuke looking casually cool and Sakura with a pink tinge on her cheeks, looking flustered. Her heart thudded somewhere in her throat and there was a violent tornado of butterflies in her stomach. She could feel the fiery blush on her cheeks and she ran her hands through her still damp hair trying to wrestle her emotions back into order.

Sakura was mentally trying to think of something to say to break the silence when Sasuke started off down another path. "Sasuke! Wait!" she said.

"What is it?" he asked, his cold eyes washing over her.

"Um, I just wondered if we should help each other get ready. You know? Or perhaps discuss the route to Suna we should take? Or help each other memorise our mission details?" She was rambling now and Sasuke was looking at her with contempt.

"Sakura. We will get ready faster on our own. We have been to Suna before; we'll take the same route we did as squad seven. And don't even pretend to me that you're dumb. You're the leader of the medical ninjas. You're smart enough to memorise mission details without my help. Plus you should already have given the details a once over at the Hokage's office. You should know the basic gist of what we're doing."

Sakura's emotions fell and the buzz she felt at being alone with Sasuke had died. She felt the familiar punch in the gut and her heart sunk from her mouth into somewhere beyond her toes. Her mouth was dry and her eyes stung as she felt the tears begin to pool into her emerald orbs. She opened her mouth to say something more but Sasuke cut across her.

"There is nothing we can do together. There is nothing I want us to do together. Just leave me alone Sakura. I'm going to have to put with how annoying you are while we're on this mission; I'd rather not do it in my spare time too."

Before she could protest he ran off. Sakura felt the sadness cloak her and she stifled her tears. 'After all this time he still thinks I'm annoying,' she thought quietly. She berated herself for thinking about Sasuke now. 'What am I doing? I have so much to get sorted before I leave.' Her green eyes, which were glazed over with a thin layer of tears, found the paper in her sweating, shaking hand. She had to memorise this immediately.

She sprinted back to her small apartment on the top floor. She fumbled for her keys in her kunai pouch and dropped three of the sharp weapons in the process. Cussing loudly Sakura scrambled onto the floor picking them up and threw them carelessly back where they came from. She found the unhelpful keys which were located conveniently at the bottom of the pouch. She shoved the silver key into the lock and kicked the black door open hard. She stomped over to her cheap sofa and sat down roughly. Damn she hated this old thing. She couldn't wait for her next pay cheque when she would be able to finally banish this crappy sofa to the dump where it belonged. She brought her mission details into focus as she tried to relax.

{- VILLAGE HIDDEN IN THE LEAVES -}

MISSION ID: 402840/S

SQUAD LEADER: KAKASHI HATAKE - JONIN

SQUAD MEMBERS: SASUKE UCHIHA - JONIN

SAKURA HARUNO – JONIN

MISSION DETAILS FOR SQUAD MEMBERS:

THE DOCUMENTS ARE TO BE GIVEN DIRECTLY TO THE KAZAKAGE.

THEY MUST NOT BE OPENED.

ONCE THE DOCUMENTS ARE HANDED TO THE KAZAKAGE HE WILL PROVIDE ACCOMODATION.

THIS SQUAD IS TO SERVE THE KAZAKAGE UNTIL THE SQUAD HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY RELEASED.

AT SUCH A TIME THE KAZAKAGE WILL HAND AN OFFICIAL NOTICE OF RELEASE TO THE SQUAD LEADER WHICH IS TO BE HANDED IN DIRECTLY TO THE HOKAGE.

TIME FRAME: UNTIL THE SQUAD HAS BEEN RELEASED BY THE KAZAKAGE.

Underneath the mission details was the Hokage's stamp of approval.

Sakura sucked in her breath quickly and sat up straight. She was going away on a mission that had no time scale to it. Why hadn't Naruto mentioned this at briefing? Sakura began mentally beating her head and answered herself angrily. 'Because you idiot, you always read the papers during the briefing! That's why Naruto looked so sad to see me leave. He even asked me if I had any questions! Grrr! Sasuke Uchiha! Why did you have to be there too?'

She'd accepted the mission and there was no way she could have backed out of it now. Miserably she packed a small rucksack of clothes and swung the plain brown bag on her back. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'At least I'll be with Sasuke.' At this cheerful thought she perked up enough to glance at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was still angry at her for getting out of bed so early and stuck out at odd angles. She tore a brush quickly through her soft pink hair and sprayed a little hair spray on to keep it looking neat.

She sighed at her boring green sofa and stepped outside her apartment. Remembering to lock the door she safely put the key away in its usual place at the top of her kunai pouch. She sprinted to the hospital to make arrangements for her absence; and take her mind off the dark handsome Uchiha.

A/N: I've had the idea for this story buzzing around my head for a long time and I've finally decided to put my ideas down. I've dabbled in fanfics before but this is the first one I'm actually going to sit down and do. I've already decided that this will be the first of two books and you will see why I've done that when it's complete. Any kind of reviews would be helpful; I'm always looking to improve. I will not be changing any of the plots though or any of the pairings. Plot suggestions are welcome but I will bear them in mind when I come to write something new. I only work on one fic at a time so the next chapter should be up soon.

- Ashes


	2. Chapter 2: Departure to the Desert

Summary: After being sent on a long mission to Suna with Sakura's dream boy Sasuke, she is determined to show him how much she's changed since Squad Seven. But what will happen when she makes friends with Gaara and Sasuke starts getting jealous of an innocent friendship? SakuraXSasuke SakuraXGaara

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters associated with it.

Warnings: This story has been rated M for later chapters and will include lemon. There is also bad language and cussing. Now enough with the warnings and on with the story!

Chapter 2 – Departure to the Desert

Sakura Haruno dashed out of the spotless hospital at top speed, nearly knocking over an outpatient. After supporting the bandaged man until he was steady she helped him carefully into the reception room. He said nothing to her, even after she had apologised at least fifty times.

"I'm so sorry, I just wasn't watching where I was going," Sakura babbled while checking his bandages were still secure. After satisfying herself with the fact that she hadn't made his injuries any worse, she shot him an embarrassed smile and got the attention of a passing nurse with a simple wave of her hand. Sakura was very well respected in Konoha's hospital and whenever she entered the building her mind was fully focused on her work. She had an aura of authority surrounding her and was a great inspiration to everyone who worked there. She did not tolerate laziness, tardiness or rudeness and had surrounded herself with likeminded medic-nins. Sakura herself had formed a very strong central medical unit that had stepped up the working standards of the entire hospital.

If only she could use that self discipline when dealing with Sasuke.

'Sasuke! Get out of my head I'm busy right now!' Sakura thought furiously.

Some of her anger must have shown on her face because the bandaged man backed ever so slightly away from her and the nurse who was attending him glanced nervously at Sakura before plastering on a strained smile.

"Miss Haruno," the mousy nurse said in a soothing tone, "We've got things under control here. There's nothing to worry about."

Sakura started as if coming out of her reverie and nodded at the quiet nurse, fully professional again. "Of course Maya, thank you for your reassurance."

Sakura would miss working in Konoha's hospital. She heaved a sigh and remembered to walk carefully out of the white double doors this time. She readjusted her backpack and did a quick check to make sure she had all the essentials. Once satisfied she was ready Sakura sprinted to Konoha's front gates.

"Good morning Cherry Blossom and how are we today?"

"Kiba," she said awkwardly. "Hey, I'm great thanks. I can't stop to talk I'm afraid I'm off on a mission."

Sakura didn't slow down the pace. She was going to be late if there were any more interruptions and she didn't want Sasuke to think she was unreliable. The tall canine loving form of Kiba appeared by her side. His keen nose had obviously sniffed her out and as much as it annoyed Sakura at the moment, she was also slightly curious. Kiba didn't track down people for a something as simple as chit chat. They continued their way to the gates, with Kiba smiling into the distance.

Sakura's inquisitiveness finally overcame her and she blurted out, "Did you want to ask me something Kiba?"

He responded with a laugh that sounded more like a bark and waved his hand as if dismissing the idea completely. "Well I was going to ask you if you wanted to come on a camping trip with the rest of the gang, but if you're off on a mission you'll miss out." Sakura groaned audibly and Kiba agreed with a sigh of his own.

"It's a shame," he added. "Everyone was going to be there. We're even asking Sasuke if he wants to come. It will suck if he shows up and you aren't there huh?" Kiba gave her a knowing smirk which Sakura returned with a blush.

"Sasuke won't be able to come either. He's on the same mission as I am." Sakura stated. Kiba's smirk grew even wider and Sakura's blush grew even fiercer.

"And there I was thinking you two were finally going to get it on if we dragged you both camping," Kiba chuckled. "Seems like you'll have more fun with just the two of you."

"It's not like that!" Sakura stammered a little too quickly.

Kiba raised a knowing eyebrow that immediately lit the fuse on her temper.

Sensing the quickly erupting volcano that was Sakura, Kiba dropped a pace behind her whilst skilfully changing the subject. "I'll walk with you to the gates; I need to find Shino and ask him if he wants to come. Knowing him he's probably out bug hunting. Or he may be right behind me, that outfit of his blends him in so well that even with my sense of smell it's hard to find him."

Sakura laughed and her rapidly growing temper was extinguished. Kiba didn't fuel arguments despite his outgoing, assertive personality. He wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind but he knew when it was his pride ushering him a long rather than common sense. And his common sense right now was telling him Sakura would hold out for one, possibly two more jibes and then he would be in a lot of pain.

"So where's Akamaru today?" she questioned.

"I let him sleep in. We got back from a mission a couple of days ago and he was exhausted. I'm letting him take it easy for a bit."

"How did it go?"

"You know me and my buddy. We got it done perfectly!"

Sakura smiled genuinely at Kiba. He never saw his dog as a pet, but as a fellow comrade and his best friend. Their friendship was quite touching and Sakura sometimes wished she had a companion like that.

The two friends arrived at the front gate and Sakura was right on time. Sasuke was, as usual, already waiting there with a scowl on his face, leaning casually against a wall.

"Hey Sasuke!" Kiba raised a hand in a wave and Sasuke inclined his head.

'Oh no, Sasuke's right there! I don't want to make myself more of idiot than I already have today' Sakura panicked. She blushed a brilliant shade of magenta that Hinata would have been jealous of and stammered, "H-Hi Sasuke. Are you ready to go?"

Sasuke nodded and continued staring at the floor. Sakura's heart was strangled in her chest and she felt like it was going to burst. She could feel herself getting emotional, when she felt a rough, yet gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked into the dark eyes of Kiba and he smiled reassuringly at her.

"You'll be fine; you just need to keep your cool, alright?" Kiba muttered into her ear.

Sakura nodded and she took a deep breath, steadying herself. When she was this close to him she could tell that Kiba even carried the same sort of scent as a dog. Kiba didn't release his hand from her shoulder but continued watching her intently. Behind them Sasuke cleared his throat.

"Don't you have somewhere to be Kiba?" he asked firmly.

Kiba growled at Sasuke and shot Sakura one more reassuring smile. Even though he was friends with Sasuke he didn't like how inconsiderate he still was to Sakura's feelings. 'Although,' Kiba argued with himself, 'She does need to get over him too. Anyway this is between them; best to not to interfere.'

He crushed Sakura into a bear like hug and waved goodbye to Sasuke. "See you guys later," Kiba yelled and sprinted through the gates and into the surrounding foliage.

Sakura sat down on the floor next to Sasuke and went through her bag. She knew she had everything there; it was just a distraction from the dark silent beauty standing next to her.

"I didn't realise you were such close friends with Kiba," Sasuke said casually.

Sakura's entire body froze and she went over the question again in her head. 'You idiot it wasn't a question it was a statement. Now stay cool, and don't mess up this time!' She took a deep breath and stared determinedly at her bag. It was easier to stay cool if she wasn't making eye contact with him.

"Yeah, we get teamed up together pretty regularly. Especially since a month ago when he got critically injured. Naruto wanted a medical ninja to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't over exert himself. We work very well together so we're put on the same team pretty regularly now, even though his injuries have healed."

Sasuke lapsed into a thoughtful silence and Sakura let out all her breath slowly. 'I can do this; I just went a bit over the top when I saw him unexpectedly this morning. Just play it like you normally do.' It was then that Sakura felt a pair of handsome eyes upon her. She snapped her gaze upwards and found Sasuke scrutinizing gaze roam up and down her body. If anyone else dared judge her that way she would have beaten them to a bloody pulp. However it was different with Sasuke. Even if he refused to acknowledge it, he had her heart.

Sakura blushed violently but her stubborn eyes refused to drop down. Sasuke's gorgeous gaze focused on her face and she found herself lost in his eyes. She was sure her heart couldn't possibly be going at the speed it was, her head was all over the place. All that mattered to her in that moment was Sasuke. The ebon haired male made a noise of contempt and pulled himself cruelly out of her happiness.

"You should never stare a wielder of the Sharingan directly in the eye Sakura," he stated coldly.

Sakura felt her heart pierced by his cruel words and she could feel the whirling in her stomach shattering. But she wasn't about to back down yet.

"You're my friend Sasuke; you wouldn't use the Sharingan on me."

Sasuke sighed and his face split into a smirk. "Friends huh?" Sakura blushed even more vividly and her legs became weak.

His freezing eyes found Sakura's and he locked their gaze. Sakura gasped and her body went rigid. He took this moment to close the gap between them and pin her against the stone wall. He was so close their bodies were touching and she could smell his aftershave. He brushed her pink her aside gently and his breath tickled her ear knocking all the wind out of her.

"Be that as it may," Sasuke whispered, causing Sakura to writhe at his touch, "It's still good practise to avoid staring straight into what could possibly be your death."

Sakura trembled. Here he was calling her weak again. She used that as her strength and found her voice. "You wouldn't kill me Sasuke."

Sasuke watched her thoughtfully, then moved his body skilfully closer to hers, pushing her tighter against the wall, his strong hands biting her skin painfully. "You're right Sakura, I wouldn't." She squirmed, not sure whether she wanted to push him off or pull him closer. His face twisted into a sadistic smile. "I could always knock you out for a few hours though, at least I would have a small period of peace." With that said he pulled away from her glaring and stalked towards the gates.

Sakura was left against the rough, chilly wall. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and she cursed herself over and over again for not only making an idiot out of herself once but twice. Her emotions were scrambled everywhere and she felt the familiar sensation of drowning. 'Why doesn't Sasuke understand I love him?' She brushed her tears irritably out of her eyes. She would not be weak in front of Sasuke.

Sakura sat down shakily, still leaning against the unforgiving wall, rubbing her arms where he had mercilessly held her. She scanned the area for any sign of Kakashi; he would be a welcome distraction to break the ice that had formed between Sasuke and herself. With a disappointed sigh she realised she was actually relying on Kakashi to be on time. The silence stretched on, Sasuke looking supremely unconcerned and Sakura glanced around every few minutes for any sign of their former sensei. Gradually she began to relax again and she soon became content with just leaning against the wall.

An hour passed and there was still no sign of the famous copy-ninja. Sakura had since regained her composure and had grown bored. Sasuke may be able to stand there radiating sexiness for hours on end doing nothing else, but Sakura was not that type of person. She liked to keep busy. Applauding herself quietly for bringing something to do, she rooted through her backpack until she found a slightly worn out textbook and a pen. She settled herself on the floor as she opened up to the dog eared page she had been reading the previous night. Medical Jutsu's and their Structure – Chapter 11, Third Degree Burns. Sakura loved going through textbooks and improving the jutsu's. She could cure third degree burns but even with her expertise they always left a small amount of scarring. Sakura was working on including some form of rejuvenation that would restore the cells one hundred percent and leave no scarring whatsoever. She immersed herself in her work, jotting notes down on her textbook every now and then.

Three hours later, judging from the position of the sun, Sasuke and Sakura both felt a familiar chakra rushing towards them. Sakura sighed and put her book and pen away and walked over to Sasuke, completely forgetting that she was embarrassed about what had happened earlier. Her mind was swimming with facts and figures instead, and she suppressed a sigh at how difficult modifying this particular jutsu was going to be. Sasuke stood up straight and at full attention now eying the direction the chakra was coming from. He may have been one of the most inconsiderate people Sakura had ever met but he did his missions with the utmost care and execution.

Kakashi appeared in a cloud of smoke and raised his hand sheepishly. "Yo."

Sakura was a little more reserved than Naruto when it came to shouting at the silver haired legend; however she was not going to let him get off that lightly.

"So sorry I'm late," Kakashi said calmly "I just got lost-"

"-On the path of life." Sakura interrupted. "Yeah you've used that excuse before."

"I have? It get's hard to keep up with who's heard what. Anyway," he cut across Sakura's obvious ambush of abuse, "Let's get going shall we? We've got to make up for lost time."

Even Sasuke raised his eyebrows at this statement and Kakashi smiled behind his mask. "I was only kidding. But we should get moving anyway. You both ready to leave?"

"Yes," said Sakura. Sasuke merely nodded.

"Right then, before we leave do you have any questions?"

They both shook their heads and Kakashi growled in approval, whilst checking his chest pocket for the documents.

"Good, let's head out then."

"There is one thing we have to get sorted out before we leave," Sakura piped up.

"Oh?"

"Yes. I'm starving Kakashi-sensei and I didn't have a chance to eat lunch because we were waiting for you while you journeyed 'the path of life.' So I vote you have to buy us all lunch along the way."

Kakashi rubbed his neck nervously. "That's a bit harsh Sakura. Besides, you both earn the same amount I do; you can afford your own lunch." He received a warning punch in the head at this and he held up his hands in surrender.

"Alright, alright. Ungrateful student of mine, Sasuke would never stoop to that level."

Sasuke chuckled at this. "I believe she said buy us all lunch."

"You would betray me too Sasuke? Aren't you a little bit too proud to let your aging teacher buy your food?"

Sasuke smirked widely. "Of course I have my pride Kakashi, but I also have a hungry stomach."

Realising he couldn't win against both of them Kakashi gave in while he had the chance. He nodded in agreement to buying them lunch, whilst muttering darkly under his breath.

Sakura giggled and turned her attention to Sasuke smiling. It was rare to see him smile and she imprinted the image in her mind. Her dearest wish was to see Sasuke smiling like that just for her.

"Ok, let's be off then," Kakashi said.

"Right," Sasuke and Sakura said in unison.

With that one word, all three jumped into action. Their mission had begun.

A/N: And that's chapter two complete! As you can see I'm not rushing this story at all, there's going to be a lot of raw emotions in later chapters and I'm making a build up to it. It's all necessary XD I will start the next chapter this evening so keep an eye out for it over the next few days. I would also like to thank people for reviewing it so quickly; I didn't expect anyone to read it for weeks! Thanks to you guys I was able to finish ahead of schedule and get this chapter up so promptly.

-Ashes


	3. Chapter 3: A Cup of Emotions

Summary: After being sent on a long mission to Suna with Sakura's dream boy Sasuke, she is determined to show him how much she's changed since Squad Seven. But what will happen when she makes friends with Gaara and Sasuke starts getting jealous of an innocent friendship? SakuraXSasuke SakuraXGaara

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters associated with it.

Warnings: This story has been rated M for later chapters and will include lemon. There is also bad language and cussing. Now enough with the warnings and on with the story!

Chapter 3 – A Cup of Emotions

Sakura found herself relaxing and beginning to enjoy herself thoroughly. All three Shinobi were sitting at a small tea shop, sipping tea and eating freshly made dumplings. The source of Sakura's amusement was Kakashi practically crying into his wallet.

"Why didn't you order anything?" Sakura asked her former sensei, tucking into the dumplings.

Kakashi paused in his mourning to raise a lazy eye to her questioning gaze. "I ate right before we left."

Sakura stood up suddenly, causing the table to wobble.

"Sit down Sakura," Sasuke said quietly.

Sakura turned furiously to Sasuke and all but shouted, "Sasuke, how can you be ok with it? He's such a jerk!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I would have thought you'd have gotten used to his ways by now Sakura."

Kakashi awkwardly sat in-between the bickering pair and said out loud, "Am I really that bad?"

Sakura bristled and looked as if she didn't quite believe her ears. "Yes Kakashi-sensei! You're always extremely bad at time keeping."

Kakashi looked thoughtful for a moment before shrugging and digging in his pocket for one of his beloved Icha Icha books. Sakura opened her mouth to say more but Sasuke cut across her.

"He's already bought us lunch, don't push it. You can't change people Sakura, deal with it."

Sakura's mouth hung open unattractively and Sasuke wrinkled his nose and turned away from her sipping his tea. Sakura turned her attention back to her dumplings, but she suddenly didn't feel all that hungry anymore. She pushed her plate away and Kakashi peered over the top of his book at her.

"You went on at me to buy you lunch and then you can't even do me the courtesy of eating it?"

Sakura smiled warmly at him, "I don't feel all that hungry anymore; I'm going to go get some fresh air." Before the other two could protest she stood up and walked quickly outside.

Now that Naruto was no longer on their squad there was nowhere near as much conversation. She missed her hyper friend more than she thought she would. She sighed to herself and sat carefully a little way in front of the old tea shop. After she had enjoyed the sunshine for a while her mind started wondering about the medical jutsu she was working on. She reached absently for her backpack but realised she had left it at the table in the musky eating area of the tea shop. Sakura cussed under her breath and forced her body up after it had gotten comfortable. She walked stiffly back to the old rusting doors of the shop when she heard Kakashi say her name quietly at the end of a sentence. She paused, caught off guard, thinking perhaps he was calling her because it was time to leave. That couldn't be it, she was sure Sasuke hadn't finished yet. As she pondered for a second more she realised he had said it quietly so it wasn't for her to hear. She side stepped the doors and skirted the outside of the crumbling little building until she came to the tall windows at the side. The smell of cooking dumplings fuelled the air, along with a mixture of alcohol. The copy-ninja would find it more difficult to pick up her scent with strong smells like this around. She checked her chakra was masked and located Sasuke and Kakashi's table. She slowly edged closer until she could hear what they were talking about.

Kakashi had since ordered a small bottle of water and was sipping it as gracefully as one could through a mask. Sasuke was slowly eating his way through the dumplings, apparently highly annoyed by what Kakashi was saying.

"Nothing's going on between us Kakashi. I can't stand Sakura most days."

'Jackpot!' Sakura thought triumphantly. It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear but she was expecting it. Plus, she thought cheerfully, there are worse things he could have said.

"I see," Kakashi replied, swigging back some more water.

Sasuke looked irritated and asked angrily, "Why did you ask a question like that anyway?"

"Because Sakura seemed quite emotional today. When she's not with you she act like that at all. So have you upset her then?"

"Probably," Sasuke shrugged, unconcerned. "It's not my fault she can't take no for an answer.

Kakashi nodded in agreement and tossed some more of the clear liquid into his mouth. He really was quite an expert at drinking with a mask on; he didn't let a drop escape.

"Have you ever thought of letting her down gently perhaps?"

"What, and have her think that I'm going soft and she'll have cracked me in a few more days?"

Kakashi opened his mouth in protest but paused suddenly. "You really do understand women don't you Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded indifferently and took another bite of dumpling. Kakashi swilled the water round in his cup as if mulling it all over.

"Just don't let any of this get mixed up in the mission," Kakashi said, giving up.

"Try telling that to Sakura," Sasuke said, taking another careful sip of tea.

Kakashi chuckled. "You have an answer for everything don't you?" The pair started finishing up and Sakura, heart racing in her chest, ran to the spot where she sat just outside the shop. She made it there in time and wasn't even out of breath. Her head was full of what she had just overheard and she realised sadly she hadn't actually learned anything new.

A minute later the two male ninja were in the doorway of the teahouse and Kakashi was cradling his wallet again. Sasuke's dark eyes found Sakura and he walked straight towards her. At first she thought she had been found out and he was coming to yell at her. Her throat constricted and her breath ran dry. How on earth would she come up with an innocent explanation as to why she was eavesdropping on them? Sasuke stopped in front of her and roughly threw her backpack down at her feet.

"You forgot this," he glared.

"Ah," Sakura released all her breath. So she hadn't been found out. "Thanks Sasuke." She reached across and picked it up and her textbook tumbled out on to the coarse, dying grass.

Sasuke sighed at her incompetence to even pick up a bag and before she could make any more mistakes bent down to retrieve the book. What he saw surprised him. When they had been younger she had always read those romance novels that Sasuke found so predictably annoying. What he held in his pale hand was a very advanced book about healing jutsu and their structure. He eyed her questionably and she squared her shoulders, bracing herself for the slick comments.

"Is this yours?" he asked simply.

Sakura gasped audibly; that was not what she had expected him to say. Nevertheless she hastened on the defence.

"Yeah," she said defiantly as if daring him to laugh. He didn't though and merely looked intently at the cover as if expecting the dumb romance novel to materialise if he stared at the book hard enough. After nothing happened he handed the book back to Sakura and grunted something about her not being able to pack her bag properly. He stormed off back to Kakashi and waited impatiently for her to join them.

Sakura carefully placed the book amongst her belongings not really sure as to what just happened. She sprinted over to the pair of them; Kakashi had finally finished mourning over his wallet and Sakura resisted the urge to kick him.

"It was only lunch Kakashi-sensei, hardly your life savings," Sakura said irritably. "God I wonder if you're this stingy on a date."

Kakashi looked blankly at Sakura and said slowly, "So is that what I'm doing wrong then?"

Sakura started, looking at Kakashi as if she couldn't quite believe what he had said; Sasuke's face broke into a look of pure amusement.

"Figures," said Kakashi hanging his head. "I'm forever doomed to be Konoha's handsome bachelor."

Sakura snorted at this and Kakashi looked mildly hurt by her lack of sympathy.

"You brought it on yourself you stingy bastard," she said.

"Hey hey! Less of that language in front of your old sensei now," Kakashi joked. "I remember a time when you used to respect me you know."

"Yeah and the respect points just keep going down every day," Sakura teased.

Kakashi sighed and said quietly more to himself than Sakura, "Just where did I go wrong?"

Sakura flashed him a grin and stuck her tongue out.

"Right, all ready?" Kakashi asked sharply,

"Ready," Sakura said cheerfully. Sasuke nodded his head, his eyes focused on the path.

With that said, they all carried on their way, sprinting instead of running to conserve their energy.

"We should be at the halfway point this time tomorrow," Kakashi said, focusing on the trees around them. "We'll keep a good steady pace until it gets dark. If there are enemies around I wouldn't want to run into them half asleep."

Sakura acknowledged what he had said and decided to ask a question of her own, "Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi looked at her to indicate he was listening. "Aren't documents like these supposed to be delivered by the Courier-nin's rather than actual ninjas?"

Kakashi nodded his head gravely, yet did not elaborate.

"So.... why are we delivering this and not them?"

"Simply because Naruto trusts us more," Kakashi stated plainly. "The sand village has a lot of political problems at the moment which is weakening their military force. Konoha has openly declared that they will support them throughout this time, so naturally, those wishing to see the Sand Village destroyed would break their ties to the Leaf."

"Oh, I get it! Konoha's like their back up force."

Kakashi smiled at Sakura, "Your still the brightest kunoichi I've ever trained I see. That is indeed what we are."

Sakura blushed slightly and looked at Sasuke for his reaction. It was unreadable and blank as usual.

"That's why we are staying there for as long as needed." Kakashi continued seriously. "If an enemy does decide to attack they will be able to see that Konoha is not actually all talk and no action. We're there to prove the Leaf's loyalty and to help bolster their numbers with a few more Jounin." He paused for a second before carrying on. "Now you may be able to understand why there is a high possibility of ambush and attack on this mission. Enemy ninja realise that there will be a lot of contact between the two villages; if they can sabotage the contents of documents, or even make sure their never delivered, it could cause a relationship break down."

Sakura nodded her head determinedly and lapsed into a thoughtful silence, her five senses tingling, testing all of them to make sure they weren't about to walk into a trap.

The sun was beginning to set in the endless sky, casting a golden glow upon the lush land. The three Leaf Shinobi didn't show any sign of stopping or slowing until the taller one with a shock of silver hair suddenly paused his sprinting causing the two on either side of him to stop quickly.

"I think we'll set up camp here tonight," Kakashi said brightly.

The other two nodded silently and jumped down from the trees into the small enclosed space below. Sakura heaved her backpack off her shoulders and stretched widely. Sasuke just stared around the area moodily.

"Right, I'll scout the area to make sure we're covered. You two start up a fire," Kakashi said cheerfully.

Sakura nodded and Sasuke's expression didn't falter, he didn't even bother to acknowledge what Kakashi said. He simply took his bag off carefully, placing it by a tree and wondered off into the forest. Kakashi sighed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Sasuke, where are you going?" Sakura asked him curiously.

Sasuke turned back and glared, "To get some wood for the fire."

Sakura blushed and ran to his side. "Alright, well since Kakashi asked us both to help, I'll gather some wood too."

Sasuke made a noise of contempt but then smiled at himself. "Can't say I didn't see this coming," he said resigning himself to the fact that he couldn't shake her off.

They walked a few paces in and he started collecting logs that would burn easily. Sakura mimicked him, choosing carefully which fallen trees weren't toxic when burned and keeping an eye out for traps. The air was filled with the scent of woodland, majestic pine trees and small animals. The wind was barely present at all; it gently caressed Sakura and Sasuke teasingly with a cool waft of air every few minutes. When they had gathered enough they walked back in silence, Sakura's unruly eyes flicking at Sasuke every opportunity they could. Together they made two piles at their campsite. One for the fire and another of spare wood that they would undoubtedly need later on in the evening.

Sakura started rooting in her bag for matches but Sasuke held out a hand to stop her. He smirked and formed the hand signs, Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse and Tiger shouting "Fire style: Fireball Jutsu!" The fire was searing hot and Sakura was sure it would burn the wood to ash then die out, yet Sasuke had thought a head. He placed his hand just out of range of the intense fire and used his chakra to tame it. It yielded to his touch, like most things did and the temperature dropped to a comfortable level. After a few seconds there was a merrily crackling fire as if it had been burning for hours.

Sakura gasped at Sasuke in amazement and asked, "How did you do that?"

Sasuke smirked, "Chakra control."

"You used your chakra to domesticate the fire?"

He nodded smugly. Sakura started gushing, "Wow Sasuke you are just amazing! I had no idea your chakra control had advanced to such a level."

Sasuke shrugged then sat down next to his bag staring blankly at the fire. Kakashi chose this moment to reappear happily.

"There are no traps and no ninja that I can see in this area. We're safe for now." He settled down tugging off his own rucksack and leaning heavily against a tree.

Sakura smiled at Kakashi and took out a flask of water, swigging it back furiously, letting the gloriously cool liquid hydrate her. After she had her fill, she settled down next to the fire unpacking her compact sleeping bag, and bringing out a small portion of readymade soup. She heard Sasuke and Kakashi rummaging around too and suspected they were probably doing the same. After she had set up her sleeping bag just right, and as close to Sasuke as she could so it didn't look obvious as to what she was doing, she popped the top on her soup and poured its runny contents into a small bowl to heat it over the fire. Diet soup wasn't Sakura's favourite thing to eat, but it would at least keep her going. The smell of smoky burning wood filled the clearing and the scent of soup was gradually becoming stronger too. Once Sakura was satisfied it was warmed through, she carefully took the soup off the fire and placed it on the hard packed earth in front of her. Experience had taught the kunoichi never to place the bowl on your lap after cooking it, but instead to put it on the ground until the bowl was cool enough to touch. As she lounged on her sleeping bag waiting, her eyes wondered to Kakashi, who was predictably reading his perverted book. Sakura frowned slightly and let her eyes travel slowly over to Sasuke. He had already finished eating his rice ball and was casually sitting down, enjoying the warmth of the fire. His eyes were looking at the ground but he sensed Sakura watching him. A single grunting noise in his throat was enough to make Sakura look away, and he smirked quietly to himself and turned purposefully away from her. This simple gesture she caught out of the corner of her eye hurt Sakura more than he could know. She felt like her entire body had frozen despite the warmth of the fire. Her stomach stopped its rumbling, and was instead filled to bursting with the rejection and pain that now wracked her, cruelly beating her from within.

'Keep it together Sakura, he's right there! Just... carry on with what you were doing ok?' she thought furiously to herself. She miserably rummaged through her bag until she found the silver spoon for her soup and placed it carefully in the bowl, remembering to test the temperature of said bowl first. When she felt it was ok, she picked it up gingerly and held it in her lap. She still didn't feel like eating, her stomach felt swollen and sore inside as her emotions gathered there, her heart pumping so fast the pain tearing her apart couldn't possibly be there. She felt a pair of eyes on her and she looked up sadly into Kakashi's concerned face. He pocketed his book, stood up briskly and walked over to Sakura, finally ending his journey by sitting down next to her.

"Sakura, don't tell me you're not hungry again," the copy ninja asked quietly.

Sakura laughed shakily and put the bowl back down. "Yeah I don't have much of an appetite today," Sakura replied forcing a smile.

Kakashi sighed, but he wasn't going to let this one go. "Come on, I haven't seen you eat a single thing today. Is this about some issue with your weight?"

"No!" Sakura said quickly, she didn't want him getting the wrong idea. "No Kakashi-sensei, I just don't feel hungry that's all."

Kakashi frowned clearly not believing her. "You're already underweight Sakura. As a medical ninja, you understand the dangers of losing any more. I know that girls are pressured to be thin but you are very slim, I don't think you could lose more if you starved yourself to death. Plus you need your energy for this mission. I don't want you passing out due to lack of food halfway through."

Sakura frowned slightly. He did have a point there. They weren't quite halfway to Suna yet and she was already beginning to feel the strain which was unlike her. Sakura smiled and thanked Kakashi quietly while picking up the bowl, eating the now lukewarm soup. He stayed by her side reading his book but offering silent support which the kunoichi really appreciated. After she had finished she did feel a lot better. Kakashi looked down at his former student and ruffled her hair.

"Good girl. Now, no more skipping meals do you hear?"

Sakura nodded and smiled back at Kakashi. He turned his attention back to his book and Sakura peered into the fire, lost in thoughts of Sasuke.

The silken voice of the ebon haired Uchiha floated to them across the fire. "So how are we doing watches?" His voice had a certain harshness to it and he was clearly annoyed at something.

Kakashi looked up from his book questioningly and Sakura meekly raised her eyes. Sasuke looked to be in a towering temper. His onyx eyes were fiery and they glared not just at Sakura but at Kakashi too. Kakashi closed his book once again with a sigh and stood up, brushing himself off.

"So who's going to do first watch?" Kakashi asked at large.

"I'll do the first watch Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said stifling a yawn.

"Sakura, I'm concerned about your lack of energy so I want you to rest up. You don't have to do a watch tonight, I will cover you."

Sasuke's gaze started bordering on violent and his jaw looked set to punch something.

Sakura started protesting but Kakashi cut her short. "Go to sleep Sakura, we need you to be at your best."

Without her usual amounts of energy and her mood still quite low because of Sasuke's actions, she simply rolled over in her sleeping bag and closed her eyes.

"I'll take first watch then," she heard Kakashi say to Sasuke.

"Fine," spat Sasuke.

"Is there something wrong Sasuke?"

"No," came his sharp response.

"Teenagers..." Kakashi mumbled to himself and he jumped out of the little campsite to find a good place to keep watch.

Sakura was just nearing the brink of sleep when she was roughly shaken awake by Sasuke.

"What the fuck is going on Sakura?"

"Huh?" She said, completely disorientated.

Sasuke's fingers cut painfully into her shoulder and he said furiously, "Don't play the innocent act here. Kakashi asks me at lunch if we're together and then this evening you two are snuggling up cosily next to the fire!" his words practically had venom dripping off them and his usually unreadable face was full of anger.

Sakura's famous temper started to boil and she sat up, pulling Sasuke's tight hands off her shoulders, feeling bruises start to form. "He wanted to see if I was ok! What's wrong with that?"

Sasuke laughed disbelievingly and moved his hands to her wrists so she couldn't push him off. "I thought better of you. Really I did Sakura. But you're nothing but a cheap whore!"

Sakura struggled against Sasuke's strong hands, determined to slap him hard. "How dare you?!"

He smirked sadistically and his face came inches in front of her own. His voice dropped to barely more than a whisper, yet it felt more chilling and dangerous than when he had been shouting. "Just remember Sakura, that while you're dating Kakashi I will not stand your presence. I will not be your friend and I will not be there for you."

"But Sasuke, Kakashi and I aren't dating! He was just concerned that I seemed a little down and tried to cheer me up!" Sakura said desperately, tears welling in her eyes. Sasuke's grip tightened and she felt a second pair of bruises being formed on her wrists under his grasp.

"Well from my point of view it looked like he was only doing it so he could end up fucking you. Why else would he offer to take your watch? There's nothing else he could want from you." He watched carefully for her reaction and then continued when he had seen the tears beading her eyes. "The thing that angers me the very most Sakura is that you went a long with it! Is that what you do every time I reject you? You look for a guy who can fuck you like the cheap slut you are?"

Sakura was openly crying now. She couldn't keep it in anymore. "Sasuke, your killing me! How can I ever sleep with someone else when the man I dream about won't even give me a second glance? I don't know any other way to prove to you how much I love you, you just don't understand it."

Sasuke paused, the anger frozen on his face. "So there's defiantly nothing going on between you and Kakashi?"

"Nothing!" Sakura said desperately. The anger faded from Sasuke's face but he still glared down at her. He released her wrists roughly but continued staring into her eyes fiercely. Sakura took a deep breath and asked the question that had burned its way through her mind and out of her mouth. "Why would you care if I dated Kakashi-sensei anyway? It's not like you're that bothered about me."

His cold steel eyes contracted slightly but his gaze never left her face. "Because he's our sensei and much too old for you. Even if I'm not interested in you and I find you annoying, you are still my friend and I look out for you." His voice started losing its passion, reverting back to the usual monotone he favoured. He got up slowly, then stalked back to his own sleeping bag.

Sakura started shaking going over everything that happened at lightning speed. She wiped the tears away from her eyes but they kept falling. She pulled the sleeping bag over her head and wept into it as quietly as she could. Everything that she had kept in since they had been on the mission, she poured it out now into her sleeping bag that was quickly becoming too wet to actually sleep in. After she had let it all out, she closed her tired eyes, begging for sleep to take her quickly so she didn't have to feel anymore. But for the second time that evening she was woken up, this time by Kakashi who was a lot gentler than Sasuke had been. "We're about to be ambushed!" he said urgently, "Wake up Sakura!"

A/N: I'm getting really excited about this story now. I promise that soon the drama will not just rain on this story; the characters may actually drown in it. I have also added bits into the draft so it's even longer than I had originally planned, so it looks like this will run over to three books rather than two. This chapter was slightly more difficult to write than the other two but the stories still at the tricky beginning phase. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.


	4. Chapter 4: Ambush!

Summary: After being sent on a long mission to Suna with Sakura's dream boy Sasuke, she is determined to show him how much she's changed since Squad Seven. But what will happen when she makes friends with Gaara and Sasuke starts getting jealous of an innocent friendship? SakuraXSasuke SakuraXGaara

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters associated with it.

Warnings: This story has been rated M for later chapters and will include lemon. There is also bad language and cussing. Now enough with the warnings and on with the story!

Chapter 4 – Ambush!

Sakura's emerald eyes opened sharply and she dragged her body back from its sleepy state. She went to sit up but she felt Kakashi's hand on her shoulder, gently holding her down.

"Don't let them know that you're aware of their presence. Pretend to be asleep," Kakashi whispered in her ear. Sakura instantly relaxed in her sleeping bag, closing her eyes whilst sharpening her other senses so she would still be alert. Anyone watching her would have thought she was sleeping peacefully, but Sakura's mind kept her from lulling back to sleep. She was going through her jutsu's and mentally preparing herself for the attack. Kakashi stood up and stretched widely, making it look like he was just checking if Sakura was asleep. The copy-ninja had already woken Sasuke up, not that he had needed to. Sasuke was already aware of the impending attack; apparently he had been unable to sleep. The Uchiha lay back with his eyes closed, itching for the ambush to begin. He could do with someone to release his anger on. As if reading his mind, three dark figures jumped down from the canopy above, one pinning Sasuke, another pinning Sakura and one trying to disarm Kakashi. Sakura's eyes fluttered open, feigning sleepiness. She saw a leering man on top of her, a kunai in his hand, his long hair obscuring most of his face.

His creepy smile that Sakura had seen through his mane of greasy hair sent shudders up her spine that had nothing to do with fear. It was disgust.

"I would love to take my time with you, little kunoichi." The man said in a deep voice. His breath had a pungent odour and smelled of something Sakura recognised but couldn't place. "Unfortunately time is not on my side today so I'll have to kill you quickly." His grip tightened on the kunai and he sliced through the air aiming for a clean cut to the throat. Sakura was ready and she kicked up hard knocking her knee in to his chest. As the breath left him he glared at her, doubling over in pain. Sakura jumped up and took out a kunai of her own holding it tightly against his throat.

"Don't move," she said seriously.

"My, how the tables have turned. Your quite a feisty one aren't you little Kunoichi?" He chuckled darkly to himself trying to recover quickly from her attack. Sakura allowed herself a smirk of her own and pressed the kunai closer to his throat, silently daring him to try anything now.

"Don't underestimate me," she said dangerously.

"Oh, don't worry my flower. I won't make that mistake again." He twisted her around quickly and took a deep breath. Caught off balance she jumped back a few steps, which proved to be the right move. As the mysterious ambusher released his disgusting breath a thick cloud of purple smoke formed where Sakura had been a second before.

'Poisonous gas!' Sakura thought to herself and she covered her free hand over her mouth and nose, trying to not breathe in any of the toxic fumes. To her utter horror the greasy haired man stepped into the cloud literally sucking the poison back into his lungs. She let the hand covering her mouth and nose drop down as the cloud dispersed. It must be a close range poison if he was bothering to suck it up and come at her again. She could try and work out the psychics of why this man could carry poisonous gas in his body without it killing him later, right now she had to focus on staying alive long enough to learn it. His lecherous eyes raped her body and he smirked sadistically, slowly taking a step closer to a slightly thrown off Sakura. She had seen he had a terrible scar from burns on his right cheek that snaked its way down to his neck line and she tried to put a name to this stranger. She must have read about someone with such obvious markings in a Bingo book at some point but she couldn't place him. He was either not much of a threat or he was keeping a low profile and judging from how quickly he recovered from Sakura's earlier attack she suspected it was the latter.

"Come my flower," his toxic breath called to her. "Come to me, I promise to take good care of you."

"Atsushi!" came a sharp command from the larger man locked in battle with Kakashi. "You don't need any more girls to take care of, just get on with the mission."

The poison wracked lecher chuckled darkly. "You clearly haven't had a good look at her then, Dai. I would give up half my collection for this pretty little thing."

The larger man did a full body slam into Kakashi who was thrown back amongst the trees. He took the few seconds of recovery to glance at Sakura and then his face split into a wide grin.

"She is defiantly a rare beauty," he said, thinking hard for a second. "Fine, just don't go overboard. Subdue her quickly then help us out."

Atsushi nodded, barely concealing his look of excitement. Sakura felt absolutely violated, even though they hadn't done anything to her; yet. She looked over at Sasuke, focusing on how this was the moment to prove to him her worth. She gathered a handful of chakra and braced herself, taking a deep lungful of air and charging at her opponent. Her fist made contact with his stomach and he coiled over barely able to breathe. Sakura felt a wave of triumph energise her and jumped back anticipating his next move. She gasped audibly when the man she had punched dispersed into a small cloud of toxic fumes. 'Some kind of poison clone?' She thought desperately. 'Which means!' She spun round a second too late knowing he would be right behind her. He smiled and almost lovingly reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking it back and exposing her neck.

"My my flower what pretty, silky hair you have." Before she could react, he pierced a needle into Sakura's neck making her cry out in pain and surprise. He quickly forced the liquid into her veins and released her from his greasy, dirty hands smirking evilly.

Sakura stumbled back, holding the place on her neck he had injected and spat angrily at him. "What the hell have you drugged me with?"

"I'm so glad you asked my flower," he said smugly as if showing off his prized work. "This type of poison is a specialty of mine. It spreads through your chakra network rather than your actual bloodstream which makes it a very quick acting poison. It renders your chakra useless almost instantaneously and will simply make you pass out in approximately two minutes."

Sakura's mind was working overtime. So she had about two minutes to take this guy down and her chakra would be rendered useless in a few seconds. Her only option was to kill this guy while she had the chance. She had a good idea as to what this creep was going to do to her if she didn't defeat him and she was not about to back down and let him. Wasting precious seconds Sakura formulated a plan and dramatically collapsed on the ground, as if the poisons effects had worked already. Atsushi grinned evilly and cupped Sakura's head, forcing her eyes upward.

"Oh come on flower, show me a little more of that feisty spirit of yours."

Sakura gathered all of her quickly draining chakra and held his gaze with her eyes, trying to distract him. He flicked his long hair out of his eyes to see her better and grinned once again.

"I'm going to have so much fun with you my flower."

Sakura had slid her hand behind him to his back and took the only chance she would get. With her chakra she sliced through the air, aiming directly for his central chakra nervous system. He twitched and released her immediately. Sakura rolled away from him, panting hard. The drug's effects were finally beginning to have an effect on her and she was fighting to stay awake.

"You're going to pay for that dearly flower, I promise you that." He tried to attack her but he merely flopped down on to the ground feebly twitching. Sakura's last thought before the darkness finally pulled her into unconsciousness, was that she had at least rendered Atsushi as useless as she was right now. 'Sasuke, please don't hate me for this.'

"Hurry up already Atsushi. I may have underestimated my opponent."

"You most certainly did." Kakashi said calmly to the chubby ninja. "In fact the only reason I haven't killed you yet is because I want to keep you alive for questioning."

"Atsushi!"

The poison master chuckled darkly from the floor. "You'll have to finish this one without me Dai. That girl did something to my chakra network and I can barely move."

"Damn it," Dai said. "Looks like I'll have to actually get serious."

Kakashi could hear the ringing sounds of Sasuke's battle but he heard silence from the area Sakura had been fighting in, save for Atsushi's laboured breathing. He sharply created a shadow clone and it jumped out of range of the battle, searching for the pink haired kunoichi. His clone found Sakura on the ground completely knocked out. What on earth could he have done to make Sakura just fall down like that? The copy-ninja's clone scanned the area more thoroughly and saw the empty syringe lying just out of the pair's range. His gaze grew intense and he carefully eyed Sakura, trying to confirm whether she had been injected with something. His strong gaze found her exposed neck and a small trickle of blood that had run into her candy coloured hair, tainting it red.

'This could actually be very serious.' His clone, unseen by any of the ambushers, released the jutsu, transferring the disturbing information to the real Kakashi Hatake. Maintaining his cool disposition Kakashi sighed at Dai.

"Indeed it looks like we both have to get serious." He pulled up his Leaf Village headband and revealed the Sharingan. A flicker of fear crossed Dai's eyes and he looked uncertainly at Kakashi.

"You aren't? You can't be?" he stuttered almost not daring to believe it. "Kakashi Hatake, the copy ninja?"

"Ah, I see you've heard of me." Kakashi said, smiling underneath his mask. "Now, shall we continue?"

Dai swallowed audibly when Sasuke came to Kakashi's aid, having defeated his opponent with a few well placed Chidori's. Dai saw the Sharingan swirling in Sasuke's eyes and recognised his lineage to the Uchiha clan. Sasuke's whole body was shaking with anger, and his eyes were murderous.

"Wait just a second!" Dai pleaded as Kakashi came in for the attack. Kakashi didn't falter, but instead of killing the large ninja, he subdued him, holding a kunai very tightly against his throat.

"Now then, just who are you three?" Kakashi asked calmly.

"Two," Sasuke corrected him.

Dai eyed what remained of Sasuke's opponent and gritted his teeth. "We're ninja mercenaries," he stated through tight lips, glaring daggers at Kakashi.

"Interesting," Kakashi replied, still highly alert. He felt Atsushi's chakra was still all over the place but he motioned for Sasuke to subdue him also. Sasuke obliged pleasantly and shot behind the poisonous lecher holding a kunai so close to his throat, his blood coated the edges of the sharp metal.

"So, what would a group of ninja mercenaries want with us?" Kakashi continued smoothly. "You seemed keen to end the battle when you found out my identity."

Dai remained tight lipped, even when Kakashi pressed the blade closer to his throbbing veins.

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this," the silver haired copy ninja sad, sighing deeply. He activated his Sharingan and pulled Dai into his deathly stare.

"Oh please!" Dai begged, before the Sharingan's effects took hold. "I'll talk, please stop!" Kakashi's twisting Sharingan slowed down, but continued to survey Dai, watching for any signs of deception or tricks.

"Alright, this is your last chance," Kakashi said dangerously. He was through with playing games, he needed to do this quickly and get Sakura out of danger. "Who are you and why are you attacking us?"

"Like I said..." Dai started begrudgingly, keeping an eye on the Sharingan, "We're ninja mercenaries. And don't it personally or nothing, we were only carrying out our mission."

"Oh? And what mission would that be?"

Dai paused for a second, glaring at Kakashi. "A mission to sabotage the documents the Leaf village courier was taking to Suna."

"Who were you hired by?"

"The Village Hidden in the Mist."

"As suspected."

"They thought you would only use courier-ninjas as is normal. We're a very small mercenary force; we don't take on big jobs. Courier-nins are tough but we can handle them."

"I see. I'm assuming you would use a transformation jutsu to gain our appearance and drop the tampered documents off as planned."

Dai nodded, reluctantly impressed that Kakashi had figured out the details in their mission so early on.

"So why is the Mist Village so keen on severing our bond with Sand then?"

"I don't know!" Dai said desperately. "I was only given the mission details and nothing more! They're not likely to tell me their reasoning's; I'm not part of their village."

"So why did they entrust this mission to some not so experienced mercenaries? A team of ABNU should have been more than efficient at getting it done."

Dai grunted at being called in-experienced but continued none the less. "They don't want to be linked back to this. Even if the team of ANBU had killed your team, the Mist Villages jutsu are well known and the bodies would have shown the markings proving it."

"Hmm," said Kakashi quietly. "A clever theory but a rather rushed one if I may say so."

Dai looked down sulkily, but his face expression changed to one of panic as Kakashi lifted him up and knocked him out with his Sharingan. Kakashi dropped him carelessly on the ground and dusted his hands, walking over to where Sasuke had their other ambusher.

"Atsushi was it?" Kakashi asked his tone light, yet he adjusted his gloves menacingly.

Atsushi chuckled. "I feel honoured that Kakashi Hatake remembered my name."

"I have a few questions for you too," Kakashi said seriously. "What did you do to Sakura?"

"Sakura? Is that her name?" Kakashi nodded gauging his reaction.

Atsushi laughed openly now, his long hair showing glimpses of his scar. "You know what?" Atsushi said conversationally. "I've been calling her flower since I first laid eyes on the petal."

Kakashi frowned and Sasuke's kunai sank deeper into his throat, making Atsushi choke in-between his macabre laughter.

"Sasuke! Stop!" Kakashi said quickly. Sasuke released a little of the pressure with difficulty and took a deep breath to steady himself.

"What did you do?" Kakashi asked calmly.

"I injected her with a special type of poison that freezes her chakra and knocks her out."

"So you were intending to take her somewhere after the ambush?"

Atsushi just nodded, smirking.

"Ok, so I'm assuming this poison will not kill her?"

"No," Atsushi said simply, continuing his manic smirking.

"How long will it be before she wakes up?"

"Between twenty four and forty eight hours. Her chakra will become active again a day after she wakes up."

"That's all I needed to know," Kakashi said quietly, holding his kunai dangerously.

Atsushi laughed again and waited for the killing blows with an eager face. Kakashi nodded to Sasuke and the pair of them sliced through Atsushi's throat cutting off his insane laughter. As he rolled on to the floor dead, the poison in his body started seeping out through the wound. Sasuke jumped to Sakura's aid and picked up her limp body carefully securing her on his back. As the poison cloud started flooding the clearing Kakashi made a signal to Sasuke to move out of range, which he quickly obeyed. Sasuke waited on the outskirts of the clearing for his former sensei, using his Sharingan to see through the nearly impenetrable fog of poison. Kakashi appeared seconds later nodding his head for them to continue. They ran off at a quick pace on the path to Suna, their senses on high alert, both sets of Sharingan's searching carefully for any more signs of attack.

The Uchiha's mind was distracted with the pink haired girl resting on his back. 'Even though you were knocked out practically from the beginning..." His eyes lingered on the blood slowly seeping out of her neck. 'You did alright I guess. At least you didn't get in my way.'

A/N: The next chapter will be much easier for me to write and should be up in the next few days. Thanks to everyone who has so far stuck with this story, it's very encouraging. I know I take my time in developing the characters and the plot but I think that's what makes a good story. I will not ruin this story line by rushing it!


	5. Chapter 5: Arrival in the Desert

Summary: After being sent on a long mission to Suna with Sakura's dream boy Sasuke, she is determined to show him how much she's changed since Squad Seven. But what will happen when she makes friends with Gaara and Sasuke starts getting jealous of an innocent friendship? SakuraXSasuke SakuraXGaara

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters associated with it.

Warnings: This story has been rated M for later chapters and will include lemon. There is also bad language and cussing. Now enough with the warnings and on with the story!

Chapter 5 – Arrival in the Desert

Sakura's body felt very heavy when she finally regained consciousness. It also didn't seem to be listening to her very well. She tried to open her eyes, but they ignored her stubbornly. She was completely unaware of her surroundings, or indeed what had happened to her. She felt very safe and was content to just feel the wind brushing through her hair and the world moving around her. She wasn't sure exactly what was happening but it didn't matter at that moment.

She didn't know how long she had been in that state before she heard a man's voice talking and she froze, thrown out of her bliss. A second male very close to Sakura replied to the first and they continued on their way. Sakura's mind was in a state of panic now. The image of the creepy poison master and his chubby friend surfaced into her mind. She felt her surroundings and realised she was on someone's back, being carried along. Then why did she feel so peaceful? She picked up on the scent of a recognizable aftershave and she inhaled it deeply. Hardly daring to believe it, her eyes peeked open and she saw the back of an exceptionally well styled haircut.

For the first time in her life Sakura was glad she couldn't have done anything in that moment. If the poison would have allowed, she would probably have screamed herself hoarse and clung on to Sasuke for dear life. She could barely believe he was carrying her. Sakura's body chose that moment to respond and she shifted slightly to get more comfortable. Sharp as ever, Sasuke noticed her slight change in position and took a moment to look back at her. Sakura looked at him shyly and managed a small smile. He turned back around, yet didn't say anything more.

Staring straight ahead and keeping his pace, Sasuke said quietly, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I think so," Sakura said, slightly croaky from not having spoken in a while.

Sasuke inclined his head an inch and didn't appear to have any more to say to her. Sakura's mind started piecing itself back together in quick succession; she just had to ask him what had happened after she had passed out from that poison.

She tightened her legs around his waist and asked him the question burning her throat.

"What happened?"

At first she thought Sasuke hadn't heard her because he remained quiet, his body stiffly moving on.

"You were knocked out by some kind of poison that freak Atsushi used."

"I meant after that!" she said impatiently.

He carried on his swift path through the trees, still staring ahead.

"I managed to kill the peon attacking me and Kakashi subdued the large one." He tightened his grip on Sakura's legs as they came to a particularly thin patch of trees and she blushed at his touch. His smooth hands sent shivers down her spine. If he noticed the effect he was having on her he didn't say and he continued acting oblivious. His hands didn't release her legs but they softened once they were back in the thicket, leaving Sakura somewhat disappointed. She had enjoyed the brief moment when he held her tightly, even if it was because he didn't want her to fall and not because he was confessing his undying love for her. Sakura's pink hair kept flicking in to her eyes, obscuring her still blurry vision, but she didn't have the strength to push it away. She tried half heartedly to raise her arm but it was weighed down heavily by the drugs. Instead of letting her annoyance with her hair ruin the moment with Sasuke, she closed her eyes and snuggled down into his lean muscled back, inhaling the scent of his aftershave again. She could stare at Sasuke whenever she felt brave enough to look, but touching was a whole different boundary. She would savour it and not distract herself with how gorgeous he looked but more how it felt when he held her. She felt safe, secure and calm. The normal butterflies in her stomach were fluttering but they weren't swirling uncontrollably like usual. His touch had relaxed her body entirely and she felt so at ease.

Sasuke had been a little surprised that Sakura hadn't asked anymore details yet, but he was sure it was only time before she found her voice again. When the silence between them stretched on he contented himself with the thought that she might actually be too worn out to talk. All the better for him.

A few hours passed with nothing more said between the pair. Sakura didn't want to ruin the comfortable stillness that had gently wrapped them up. Even though her eyes were closed, she was very much awake, quietly enjoying Sasuke's gentle touch; Sasuke too was enjoying Sakura but not quite in the same way. He was enjoying the fact she wasn't pestering him. Sakura felt the pace slow down and then stop. She opened her eyes sleepily and looked past Sasuke's head. They were at the edge of the golden baked desert.

Sakura gasped; shocked they were this close to Suna. She turned her attention back to Sasuke who answered her question before she had even asked.

"You've been out for almost two days."

'Two days!?' Sakura thought desperately. 'That guy's poison must have been pretty strong stuff. How could I have been so stupid as to let him drug me? I have just made a fool out of myself not once, or even twice, but three times and we haven't even arrived in Suna!'

"Can you walk?" Sasuke asked, setting her down on to the parched grass.

Abandoning the thoughts of how much more she would have preferred Sasuke carrying her, Sakura flexed her leg muscles to test their strength. They were still quite weak; however she nodded, automatically ready to pump some chakra into them to give them a kick start. Taking a deep breath she pushed herself up and started drawing her chakra; only to find she still didn't have any, which resulted in her falling clumsily to the floor, her muscles shaking angrily in protest. Kakashi jumped down from his tree at that moment to check her over. He rested a gloved hand on her shoulder whilst his concerned eyes watched her muscles which were still spasming.

"Take it easy Sakura. If we trust what Atsushi said about the poison, you still won't be able to use your chakra yet." He said quietly.

"Oh yeah, you think?!" Sakura shouted back, irritated he hadn't said this beforehand.

Kakashi was used to Sakura's outbursts and smiled behind his mask at his former pupil, glad her famous temper was starting to show again. It meant she was already feeling better.

"Let's not take any more chances Sakura," Kakashi said. "I'll carry you for awhile, I'm sure Sasuke wants a break."

Sasuke shrugged as if he couldn't care less. Sakura tried not to let her disappointment show, which actually turned out to be easy, because it was replaced with a look of shock as she was suddenly lifted by a strong pair of hands and hoisted on to copy ninjas back.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura said in protest. "I can walk on my own; just give me a minute to get the feeling back in my legs."

Kakashi had already taken off at a surprisingly quick pace, Sasuke at his side.

"I know you're a very proud person Sakura, but we don't have a minute to spare." Kakashi said above the sound of the desert winds. "These documents are of the utmost importance and have to be delivered on time."

"You know Kakashi-sensei, that's really weird coming from you. You're never on time for anything!"

Kakashi chuckled behind his mask. "Even I know there's a time and a place for things Sakura. I'm always very prompt with my missions."

Sakura made a noise of contempt to show she didn't believe him but allowed herself to be carried without any more complaints. It was true that these documents were important and the sooner they were delivered the better. So she let her pride take a back seat and drove on with the mission's goal clear in her mind.

"He carried you the entire way you know," Kakashi said quietly to Sakura.

"What?"

"Sasuke. He insisted on being the one to carry you every time it was brought up."

Sakura was glad Kakashi couldn't see her face because it was filled with such a tangle of emotions. She wanted to scream out and throw her arms around Sasuke, thanking him for taking such good care of her. For the first time in her life Sakura was filled with hope that the Uchiha may in fact care for her. She thought back to Sasuke's gentle, yet firm touch and felt her face blush, again thankful that Kakashi couldn't see her reaction. Yet somewhere in all this it felt wrong, different to how she had imagined it. Sasuke was carrying her because she had been knocked out by some stupid poison; not because she was the winner of some epic battle. Truthfully Sakura would have preferred more of a fight, involving all three of the ambushers taking Sasuke and Kakashi for hostage, leaving Sakura to defeat the bandits by herself; the boys only hope of survival. She would gracefully and easily take down all three ambushers, but not before she had been injured heroically, like what happens regularly to Naruto. At the end she would stagger to set Sasuke and Kakashi free before collapsing on to the grass, hiding her smugness, knowing she just saved their lives. Sasuke would have been amazed at how strong she had become, confess his undying love for her and they would kiss passionately, swept up in the moment. A few random cherry blossoms would blow majestically in the wind and their futures would be sealed together forever. Yes, Sakura had spent a lot of time planning as to how Sasuke would fall in love with her. Even if her fantasies had different scenarios they always had the same ending. An ending in which she had proved to Sasuke how strong she had become, not how she had a needed a knight in shining armour. She sighed audibly and watched the near lifeless desert, feeling the suns heat on her back. She _would_ prove to Sasuke just how strong she was, and then he would realise she was perfect for him. She would have her happy ending. At this comforting thought she relaxed into Kakashi's jacket, continuing to watch the unchanging scenery as it flashed before her sparkling green eyes.

After a few hours of seeing nothing but sand dunes, a couple of prickly cactus' in bloom and an evil looking scorpion, Sakura felt Kakashi picking up the pace and glanced tiredly past his silver shock of hair. Barely visible in the distance loomed the towering gates of Suna. Even from so far away, the gates looked threatening, almost daring anyone to attempt an attack upon the large city. As Kakashi and Sasuke got closer, the towering walls grew in size and the air whipped them with borrowed sand. Sakura closed her eyes, thankful this journey was almost over. It had turned out to be a disaster. All she wanted to do was have a long bath and sleep the poison off. A wave of cold washed over her and she opened her eyes sharply. It turned out they had just run into the looming shadow cast by the great walls of Suna and the gate guards were now in plain view. Sakura struggled slightly on Kakashi's back, silently asking him to let her down. She wanted to preserve what shred of dignity she had left and make a good first impression on the people of Suna. Kakashi chuckled slightly and held on to her tighter, making it clear she wasn't moving from that spot. Audibly sighing at him Sakura resigned herself to the fact that everyone was going to think she was completely incompetent.

"Halt! Who goes there?" a sharp voice barked.

Sasuke and Kakashi stopped in front of a stern looking guard who was glaring at them suspiciously. Kakashi indicated his headband and pulled a small scroll out of his front pocket and handed it over. The haughty guard inspected the official looking paper and held it up to the blazing sun, carefully looking for any forgery. After a few minutes in silence the guard grunted and waved at them to follow him through the gates.

Sakura had only been to Suna once before and had never before appreciated how beautiful the city was in the late afternoon sun. Unfamiliar smells permeated the air, and there was the hustle and bustle of citizens going about their daily lives. The sound of clashing kunai and spiralling jutsu's came from what Sakura decided must have been training grounds, and of course the wind was more present here, gently dusting the streets with grains of sand. The Kazekage tower sat prominently in the centre of the city and their silent host marched the group briskly towards the doors.

Sasuke walked alongside Kakashi, both looking casually unconcerned as they followed the un-talkative guard. He led them inside the slightly imposing tower which was much more grand and traditional than the one in the Leaf Village.

Without even looking at the three of them the guard said loudly, "You were a few hours later than we expected you."

Kakashi chuckled, "We did fall a bit behind schedule yes." The guard glanced at the three and his eyes focused on Sakura briefly before staring straight ahead of him again.

"Medical assistance will be offered after you have reported to the Kazekage."

Kakashi nodded gratefully, "Thank you, that would be much appreciated." Sakura couldn't help but feel like a broken toy that was second best, but didn't allow herself to dwell too much on it. She was expected to give her life to protect this message after all.

Once they had climbed the stairs they were standing almost in a little reception area, except it was empty save for a couple of potted cacti. The tall prickly plants flanked the heavily decorated double doors to what Sakura assumed was the Kazekage's office.

"I will inform Lord Kazekage you have arrived. Please wait here," and without further ado, the sullen guard jogged back down the stairs they had just climbed.

"Friendly guy," Sasuke commented thoughtfully.

"Indeed," said Kakashi.

There was nowhere to sit, so the two men stood to attention, fully focused on this final goal. Sakura had a notion that even if there was a really comfortable sofa available to sit on, both Sasuke and Kakashi would still choose to stand. Before she could think anymore of Sasuke's habits, Sakura heard people on the stairs. Glancing at Sasuke and noticing how Kakashi turned his attention to the stairs too she assumed they had heard it also. Sakura summoned as much grace as she could, whilst drained of all chakra and clearly completely out of it on Kakashi's back. She took a deep breath, again focusing on a bath and a good sleep and raised her eyes to see Gaara, the Kazekage of the Sand Village. Gaara nodded to acknowledge the Konoha ninja and walked past them to his office, gesturing for them to follow. Dressed in his formal robes, Gaara took a seat in a high backed comfortable looking chair and removed his large blue and white hat. He ran his hands tiredly through his ruffled blood red hair, temporarily giving a good view of his large tattoo like mark on his forehead. He leaned forwards in his chair and turned his full attention to Kakashi and his teammates, gently interlocking his fingers and resting his elbows on his large desk strewn with paperwork. Kakashi gently lifted Sakura off his back and silently handed her to Sasuke. The raven haired Uchiha lifted Sakura to her feet in one quick motion and held on to her waist to help support her. Sakura felt the blood rush to her cheeks and wobbled slightly, which had nothing to do with her current condition. Feeling Sakura buckle he threw her arms around his neck and she tightened her grip pulling herself closer to Sasuke. Although Sasuke immediately turned his face to the Kazekage and made it look like he was merely helping her stand up, Sakura was inwardly swooning. She repressed it and thought angrily that she had to act professional right now, until she felt a strong pair of eyes and looked up to see Gaara staring at her intently. Trying to stare back with the grace and dignity Gaara now carried as the Kazekage was impossible for Sakura right now. Even if she was perfectly fine, she doubted she could come off that sophisticated. She was surprised with the change she now saw in Gaara. He looked stretched and tired yes, but he had matured a lot and he was more calm and collected. His hair had grown slightly and he seemed to have muscled up a little more, if his arms were anything to go by. He was still un-talkative but he wasn't unapproachable and cold. The shadow of death that had once followed him had evaporated and he sat forward gazing at Sakura so intently she thought he could see right through her to what she was thinking. He was making quiet evaluations and studying the situation carefully within himself, without the need to ask others for advice.

Kakashi cleared his throat, yet Gaara continued to watch Sakura. Without taking his eyes off her Gaara addressed Kakashi for the first time since he had entered the room.

"Is she in need of medical attention?"

Kakashi looked at Sakura too. "She is Lord Kazekage, but her condition is not life threatening. She most probably just needs some rest."

Gaara nodded again to indicate he was satisfied with Kakashi's answer and his purposeful eyes snapped onto the copy ninja briskly.

Kakashi reached into the inside of his Konoha vest and extracted two scrolls, one large, one small. Gaara reached out a strong hand adorned with a large number of rings and took both documents carefully. He put the large scroll, which was clearly sealed heavily, in a hefty desk drawer undoubtedly intent on reading it after they had left. Sakura knew that had to be the important one that Naruto had stressed was for the Kazekage only. The second smaller one Gaara placed in front of him. After doing the hand sign for ram, the scroll unravelled at the taste of his chakra and he picked it up in his firm grip. He read over it quickly, his eyes drinking in what was written. There was silence in the room while Gaara was reading. After he had finished he looked at Kakashi's team again. Sakura couldn't help but be amazed that he could watch more than one person at the same time. Even though he was looking at Kakashi, she still felt part of what was going on and knew she was getting the same attention.

"You have completed the first part of your mission successfully. Now moving on. I'm sure you're all aware of the Sand Villages situation at the moment. The chance of attack is very real. As you're all Jounin, especially from the Leaf Village, you must understand that you will probably be on the front lines should an enemy attack Suna."

Sakura gasped loudly and Gaara's gaze slowly locked on to Sakura's emerald eyes trapping her there. As Gaara gazed at her she felt Sasuke's hands tighten on her waist and he pulled her closer to him in a way that was almost intimate. Before she could apologize Gaara continued.

"I understand you may not have been expecting such involvement. But we need to show them that Konoha is indeed assisting us. As much as we value your safety, you will not be noticed by the enemy as a backup squad. That was the main reason your mission was ranked as S class."

Gaara let his eyes move over to Sasuke, who could still maintain being cool whilst holding up a very weak Sakura, then snapped back to Kakashi.

"In the meantime, as you are bolstering our numbers, you will be given various jobs to do. This could be anything from border patrol to helping out at the academy. There are currently daily training programmes available to Jounin to help keep what military force we have sharp. I must ask that you attend those classes as you won't be going on any missions away from the village. When you're off duty you will allowed to use any facilities you like in Suna. I will be asking someone to give you a tour and show you around so you know what is available. As you will be living in Suna until the foreseeable future I must ask that you respect this village as if it were your own. The biggest rule I must impose upon you is you must not leave this village without the express permission of the Kazekage. Do any of you have questions about this part of the mission?"

All three of Sakura's team shook their heads. Gaara allowed a small smile as if they amused him in some way and stood up from his desk.

"Your living quarters have been prepared for you. I have asked Kankuro and Temari to show you where you will be staying."

Kakashi and Sasuke bowed respectfully, whilst Sakura shakily nodded her head.

"Would you please let my brother and sister in?" Gaara asked Kakashi quietly.

Kakashi nodded and turned around to let in Gaara's siblings. The pair walked in and smiled at the Leaf ninja.

"Heya guys," Temari said cheerfully.

"Yo," said Kakashi, smiling from behind his mask.

"Temari," Gaara said from behind his desk, "Sakura Haruno has been injured; can you please take her to the hospital first?"

Temari nodded, flashing a sunny smile at Sakura.

"Sure can Gaara."

"Kankuro. Once Sakura has been settled in, you can show the remaining members where they will be staying."

Kankuro smirked and grinned at Kakashi and Sasuke.

"Will do."

"Thank you. You are all dismissed," Gaara said quietly, immediately adjusting his focus to the paperwork around him.

Without having to be asked, Sasuke picked up Sakura's trembling body and carried her to Suna's hospital bridal style. Temari chatted happily the entire way, Sakura barely listening to what she had to say. Kankuro was pointing out important landmarks and useful shops along the way, which normally Sakura would have been interested in, especially as she didn't know the area, but she was being overcome by waves of tiredness.

'Not that I'm complaining,' Sakura thought to herself, 'But I wonder why Sasuke was holding me so tightly like that in front of Gaara, there was no need for him to hold me so close, it almost felt... intimate. Like we were a real couple, hardly appropriate for just supporting someone...' She unconsciously blushed and snuggled closer into Sasuke's jacket. Even before they had reached Suna's hospital, Sakura Haruno was fast asleep, dreaming of the boy holding her in his arms.

Seeing she was asleep, Sasuke held her closer and whispered very quietly in her ear, "No one else can have you. Even if I don't want you; you're mine."

A/N: I apologise for the extremely late chapter, you have no idea how many times I rewrote this... Things will get so much easier to write after this now, because they've arrived and their not leaving any time soon. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, this chapter is for you guys 33


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